The Light, Part 1
by amyacker
Summary: Janeway has an unusual experience...


Story: The Light, Part 1  
By: Heif  
Disclaimer: Paramount owes everything, I owe nothing (well, besides the plot). Ok?  
  
  
The Light  
(Part One)  
  
  
  
"Captain!", Neelix exclaimed, almost dropping a plate of his special Jekonian cookies, "what a pleasure to have you here! Would you like some tea? I have a rare new sort of" - "To be honest, Neelix", Janeway interrupted him, "I don't feel like trying anything new at the moment...but I think I might have some coffee, anyway. But first, there was something you said you wanted to talk about?"  
"Ouh...eh, yes, Captain" He gave her one these looks that showed he felt uncomfortable of bothering her, then he spoke up: "Well you know, the doctor recently came to me, telling me many crewmembers had been suffering health problems because of the food..." Janeway sighed. All these problems of not having a starbase to check on every once in a while had become her daily work, but today, a headache also added up to this. "Neelix", she said, trying to sound soft "I know, this is a problem, but as you know, we just have to take what we can get. The last two stops we made for picking up food didn't bring what we had it expected to, and we can't go on wasting energy on replicaters. It's not like people feel unhappy with your cooking..." Well, maybe they do, she thought. But better not tell him. If only this headache vanished...   
The Talaxian guided her into his food storage room and showed her some boxes with vegetables and fruits she'd never seen before. Just don't think about what you've been eating lately, Janeway told herself.   
Neelix gave her some of an desperate look. "Captain, you see, it's not that we don't have enough to eat. We just don't have the right stuff. I certainely don't want anyone to get sick because of me."  
Janeway shook her head to eliminate the image of some weird-looking egg-menu Neelix had served her some days ago and then looked at him. "Okay, so I see the problem. We have to get some more 'healthier' food. I'll talk to the doctor about what we need, to plan our next stop." Neelix breathed in and tried to make himself look a little taller. "Well Captain, you certainly don't have to bother with all the preperations. I think as chief cook, I can surely handle the issue!" Then why call me about this at all, Janeway thought but then managed a smile. "Well, that's okay", she said "I think I'm going to visit sickbay anyway. I absolutely have to get rid of this headache..." She left a confused Neelix behind, leaving the casino on her way to the doctor.  
  
In sickbay, Janeway was sitting on a bio-bed, fighting with her headache. "Did you hear what I said, Captain?" the holographic doctor asked. She tried to remember what he had been telling her, but she hadn't been able to concentrate on his words. "Sorry" she mumbled, "what did you say?" He looked at her with a worried expression on his face, then raised his medical tricorder and started once again scanning her head. "I don't think it's something serious, Captain. I think you're suffering the headache due to too much stress, work. Have you been taking some time off, lately?" "I can't afford taking 'time off', doctor" Janeway said with a sigh, "I've got a millions things to handle. Oh, by the way...could you work out a plan for our next stop for picking up food? I was told there had been some health problems because of it..." "So you've spoken to Mr. Neelix" the doctor said, "I could have guessed. I already gave him a list of what we need, but I think he lost it, and doesn't dare asking again. Well...I'm sure I can do it again."  
He told Janeway to relax, then prepared a hypospray. "I'm giving you something against your pain, Captain, so you can get some rest. But I must insist you try to spend some freetime, on the holodeck, for example." He put the hypospray on her neck. Janeway could feel the pain killers rushing into her body, and took a deep breath. This was much better now. "Thank you, doctor. I think it's already working. See if you can hand out another food list to Mr. Neelix soon. So, I'll have to leave you now..." Janeway was on her way to the door when the doctor stopped her. "Captain", he said, "I recommend you take it easy today." "I'll try to."  
  
Although the pain was gone now, Janeway still felt strange. A bit dizzy, she went into the elevator and said "Bridge!" As the elevator began to move, she tried to concentrate on a single thought. Must be the hypospray, she finally decided. I can't get my thoughts on anything. Janeway arrived at the bridge and stepped through the opened doors. Tuvok looked at her. "Captain" he said and nodded towards her. Janeway smiled. Chakotay stood up and turned around, ready to move from the Captain's chair to his seat. "Good morning, Captain." he said with a grin. "Good to have you here. Are you going to stay on the bridge?" "I don't think so" she answered. "I have a lot of work to do in my ready room. Just call me, if there's something...important." Chakotay nodded and sat down again. Janeway crossed the bridge to her room. She entered it and was still feeling dizzy. She started to think about all the stuff she'd have to handle this day - ha, the doctor, telling her to take it easy, ha! - in fact, her schedule didn't even allow this short break for thinking about the day. The captain sat down on her couch and thought about the different issues: The food problems, the next possible stop for system checkup, the recent troubles with the warpcore, the hydroponic garden. Yeah, the garden, Kes had asked her-  
  
In sickbay, Kes looked up from her work. She had just arrived in sickbay and now recalibrated some medical tricordes for the doctor. But...what was that. She thought she'd heard something...but... "Kes, is ther something wrong?" The doctor asked. Kes realised she was staring at a tricorder which she was holding the other way round...but... It took her a few seconds to get over her confusion. She turned to the doctor who observed her with a worried look. "Is there something, Kes? Do you need help with the tricorders?" he asked, taking a step in her direction. "No...everything is...just fine." she said. "Everything's okay." He seemed to accept her answer and continued his work. Kes kept thinking, WHAT WAS THAT? It had been like...someone had called her name, from a distance. Wait a minute...maybe Tuvok. They had been doing some mental exercises earlier on the day, and maybe there was still a telepathic link between them. Or it was some kind of test for her, to see if her mental skills made progress. Kes decided to ask him about it later.  
  
Janeway was confused. She had thought about Kes and the garden, and just that moment there had been this strange feeling. Like...the thought had left her to go...somewhere else. But of course, this was ridiculous. Let's try it again! Just ridiculous. She stared at an image of Kes in her mind, tried to concentrate just on her, get back that unusual feeling. Something inside herself fought against it, and she didn't know why, but she managed to push these thoughts away. Kes, she thought, KES!  
  
It hit her hard, like someone had smashed her in the face. Kes stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. "Kes!" the doctor exclaimed and immediately was next to her. He took a tricorder and began scanning the Ocampa who pressed herself against the wall, taking fast breaths. The tricorder didn't show any unusual activity in her body, but her sight told a different story. The doctor talked to her, slowly, softly, trying to look into her eyes which were staring at something that probably wasn't there.  
"Kes, listen to me. What's going on? Do you feel pain? Do you see something over there? It's going to be alright, just tell me what it is." But Kes was unable to speak. She began shaking and breathed now even faster. The doctor grabbed a hypospray and gave her a sedative. It worked, and a minute later she was calm so he could carry her to a bio-bed.   
  
It was over, Kes thought, it was gone. It had only lasted seconds, but...don't think of it, can't think of it, it's gone now, over, darkness. Kes allowed her exhausted mind to fall asleep.  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...PROBABLY  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
